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Of Savage Lands
Prologue It was dark and cold in the deep ocean. The only light in the depths came from the golden glowing bubble vents, small pockets of air reflecting in the scant light before fading from view in the light sucking dark. In between these vents lay a colony of eggs - five, to be exact. Azure and cobalt and emerald and peridot they were, glinting slightly in the faint yellow light, warmed by the heat the vents provided. Inside one of the eggs, a dragonet squirmed, comforted by the dark and warmth and confinement that were the only things she had ever known. The walls of her egg were thinning; she was due to hatch any day. Soon, the faint light of the bubble vents would be bright enough to spark her interest, and out she would break, to be swept to the surface and the pod that held her relatives by whatever dragon would be on watch. She sighed and curled up tighter in her egg, happy and safe. Outside the eggs, a dragon was hovering as close to the bubble vents as he could stand without being burned. The palms of his paws were warm, but everything else on him was freezing cold. The light did so little at the bottom of the ocean that he couldn't even see to his elbows with the light of the bubble vents that illuminated his paws. He shivered and leaned closer, trying to catch more of the heat on his face. First looking around at the black waters that no light could penetrate, he cast his eyes back onto the eggs. They'll be fine. He assured himself. No other pod knows where our eggs are, and few predators swim this deep. It'll be okay if I head up for a bit, just long enough to warm myself before coming back down. With one backward glance, he turned and made his way for the sunlight zone. Inside the egg, the dragonet slumbered, slowly growing in preparation for her hatching. In three days her shell would be thin enough for her eyes to catch the light of the vents, and she would leave her egg behind. That is, if things took their natural course. A burst of light woke the dragonet, and she lifted her head in wonder. Her whole life so far she had seen nothing but darkness, never known what she had looked like. The light came again, and she studied her arms in the moment where the light illuminated the inside of her egg. Again, it came, and again, again, again. The cold, mint colored light captivated her, this glow from outside her egg. There was something outside, she realized. Something out there. The pulsing light called to her, and with sudden urgency she slammed her tail into the side of her egg. Again, she did it, and struck out with her claws as well. A crack formed. There! She did it! She struck again, again, again, as hard as she could, until there was a hole. She shoved her head out, making the hole bigger, big enough for her to wiggle out. The cold hit her for the first time, and she shuddered, shivers traveling up and down her whole form. She turned, hoping to crawl back into her safe, warm egg, but it was in splinters. Then something grabbed her and yanked her away from the splinters of her egg. She squeaked, but only bubbles escaped. She was pulled to some big beast, claws clutching her painfully tight. The same light that had called her from his egg burst from the dragon's face. He studied her carefully, and she squeaked in fear again, releasing another column of bubbles. The dragon that was holding her continued to study her using the light coming from his face, and she studied him in return. He was covered in nasty, twisting scars, and his eyes were dull and hard, more cold than the waters they floated in. He bared his teeth at her and she tried to wiggle away, but he tightened his grip. His scales lit up, and in the corner of her eye she could see a different color of light burst in response. Back and forth they went, until suddenly the dragon holding her flashed something that made the other lights stop coming. Watching this, the dragonet thought to try and see if she could make light too. Her whole body lit up, and then the dragon holding her tightened his hold. ... The body of the tiny dragonet drifted to the bottom, were she would be found when the dragon who had been guarding the eggs returned from the sunlight zone. Then, the main story would start. Chapter One High Tide The tiny, broken, cobalt body of the dragonet was laid on a rock front and center. Behind her, the leader of the pod and his designated successor hovered in the water, faces grave. The forty-something other members of the pod, members over seven years at least, awaited gathered in front of her. "Who was on duty when this dragonet hatched?" The hulking pod leader, Raging Waves, glared with ice cold eyes. His dark navy scales were out of place in the bright sunlight zone, clearly defining him against the turquoise waters the pod was stationed in. The set of his face was more grave than High Tide had ever seen before. He meant business. But it was only to be expected. Eggs and dragonets were precious. Losing one was a serious matter indeed. Which was why he spoke up. "It was me." High Tide said, holding his head high, facing down the glares and startled gasps with serenity. It was a lie. Less than half a tide ago, High Tide had encountered someone in the highest waters of the twilight zone while hunting. Someone who should have been in the midnight zone, guarding the eggs. His best friend, Kelp Forest. Kelp Forest was a weakling. He was horrible at hunting and worse at fighting, even with his seaweed green scales that helped camouflage him in sea plants and should give him an advantage. Kelp Forest was just the type to get too cold in the midnight zone and retreat, shirking his duty to the pod. So High Tide accompanied him back to the midnight zone, intending to stay with him and help protect the eggs. Kelp Forest shouldn't have been on duty in the first place, he'd never be able to fight off a shark or giant squid. But when they got there, they found that it was too late, anyway. A shark had killed a dragonet who had hatched while Kelp Forest was off warming his scales. Kelp Forest was too weak to take the punishment. So High Tide was going to protect his scales, as usual. And then deliver a huge lecture about duty to the pod, because moons, did that squid-head need it. They were both eight years old, but High Tide had been a full pod member since age seven, the youngest a dragon could be a full pod member. Kelp Forest hadn't even caught his first fish alone yet. He refuses to apply himself, High Tide seethed. And now look what his weakness did. Killed a future hunter, a future fighter. High Tide recounted Kelp Forest's tale and mistakes as his own when prompted, and then waited. If I'm getting my status as a full pod member suspended for this hunk of snail slime... Raging Waves lashed his battle scarred tail, fury clouding his eyes, when High Tide finished. For a moment, nothing happened. His punishment was being decided. "You." He flashed slowly and menacingly. "Are exiled." High Tide gasped, a stream of bubbles flooding from his mouth before he closed it. For a moment he thought about telling the truth, about pleading his case. But even if Raging Waves believed him, he'd definitely be exiled for weakness. He had to take this. A dark cyan shape darted in front of the pod, whirling to face them. "He lies ￼to protect someone else, maybe that sea cucumber Kelp Forest? My SON is noble. He'd never shirk his duty." ''Black Trench, High Tide's mother, swam over and brushed her paw against his face before swimming back, facing Raging Waves and his successor, Squid Ink, instead of the pod. "''I refuse to let you exile my son." "He has failed the pod! Failed our future! Exile is KIND compared to the fate this dragonet suffered." ''Squid Ink flashed, her dark eyes bright with rage. ''Squid Ink had an egg... High Tide thought, staring at the dark cobalt dragoness. This is her daughter. High Tide suddenly felt even grimmer. Squid Ink likely wanted to kill him. Exile was kindness compared to the anger of a bereaved mother. "MY SON has done no wrong," Black Trench flashed aggressively, pearly blue light bursting from her phosphorus scales in quick succession, so fast it was hard to follow her tirade of angry words. "My son is loyal, strong, and dedicated to the pod. If you exile him you lose a valuable asset against the other pods in our area." "WE LOST A VALUABLE ASSET!" Squid Ink flared her wings wide and roared soundlessly, fury brightening her eyes. "WE LOST MY DAUGHTER!" Squid Ink swam forward slowly and dangerously, every scar on her body a testament to the battles she had fought and won to be swimming by Raging Waves' side as the future leader of the pod, the shark teeth stabbed through her ears showing her might against defending from predators. "If I had my way, your traitor of a son would be killed just as painfully as my daughter's death. If you keep him here, when I am pod leader I will make him pay a thousandfold. I will give him ten strikes for every bit of pain in my heart. I will match every wound on my child's body to his, so he can feel what his desertion caused my daughter. If he is exiled, he will at least be spared that fate. The wrath of a mother knows no bounds, my dear. Give up." Black Trench bristled with fury. The two dragonesses circled each other carefully, both ready to retaliate if someone lashed out. If they started a fight, someone would die. And if Squid Ink died, Raging Waves would have every right to execute both High Tide and Black Trench. "I accept my fate." ''High Tide declared, flashing his statement as bright as he could. The two dragonesses turned to him, Black Trench stiff with horror and Squid Ink vibrating with hatred. ''"I have wronged the pod. This punishment is only right." Raging Waves inclined his head, beckoning High Tide forward. High Tide swam to his leader with dignity, ignoring Squid Ink's glare and the flashes of conversation among his pod mates. He spotted Kelp Forest, face wracked with guilt, as he turned to face the pod. Be grateful, you lousy jellyfish of a dragon. This should be ''you.'' High Tide sank down to the silt of the ocean floor, and bowed his head. He felt the sharp claw of his leader slice through his horn, but there was no pain. Horns felt very little unless you cut too deep. Squid Ink would have forced her claw in as deep as she could if she were the one marking him, High Tide knew. At least his leader gave him that small courtesy. He lifted his head when his leader removed his claw, meeting Kelp Forest's sapphire eyes with a burning glare. Kelp Forest shuddered and looked away, alone in the midst of his pod. Feel guilty, you rotting shark. This is for you. "He is exiled!" ''Raging Waves announced. "''No more shall our or any other pod welcome him in, for he bears the mark of disgrace. Leave now and do not return unless you wish to make your case. But to return means death if you fail." High Tide looked around at his pod one last time. Blue and green, glinting and shimmering in the light that streaked down from above, floating in the soft currents of the sunlight zone. Serene and safe. He looked over his podmates slowly, savoring them all. Black Trench broke rank and swam to his side. "I love you, my son." She flashed fiercely. "You are noble and good. Someday, I will see you again." High Tide leaned into her, and she to him. "Goodbye, mother." High Tide smiled fondly. "Black Trench!" His father, Shark Bite, called. "You disgrace us, talking with the traitor! Return to the pod!" Black Trench folded her wings around her son before returning to the rest of the pod. "Be strong, my brave tiger shark." High Tide nodded, before turning away from the pod. That direction was land, or so he was told. He had never been. Without a backward glance, he swam away from the only life he had ever known, straight toward an utterly foreign new world. Chapter Two Leopard Strike Leopard Strike was crouched in the gnarled limbs of a rainforest tree, hidden by her camouflaged scales and the epiphytes that grew in tangled clumps among the branches. Her long tail twitched, making the leaves rattle against each other, and her yellow eyes narrowed. ''Shadowed Jaguar told me to practice my hunting skills. I know I will be the best huntress this rainforest has ever seen. ''Her claws gripped tighter around the knife she carried. A brown satchel that was slung around her neck carried her blowdarts and a few berries in case she got hungry. Her tail twitched again, causing the leaves to whisper amongst each other. Leopard hissed, turning around to glare at her tail. "Hold still," she growled to it. That was one of her problems; she was too fidgety, too eager to move around. Something on her was always moving, whether it was the subconscious bat of an ear or the louder flip of one silvery-green wing. (more coming soon) Category:Content (DreamingWolf1) Category:Content (ADragonDreaming881) Category:Fanfictions Category:Fanfictions (Fanon) Category:Alternate Universes Category:Genre (Adventure) Category:Genre (Romance) Category:Content (MistydaAwesomeSeaWing) Category:Fanfictions (Incomplete) Category:Collaborations